Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary in style, with over 800 episodes of the series, plus spin-offs including The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, Class, and, for the first time since their initial airings, Doctor Who Confidential, to be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
This incredible, vast archive will be on the streaming platform for free from 1st November.
Showrunner, Russell T Davies, said:
“I’d like to thank the BBC for all the hard work, to get this massive back catalogue under one roof, at long last. I’m so excited for new viewers – imagine being 8 years old, spending winter afternoons exploring the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. And we’re determined this won’t be a dusty museum – we have exciting plans to bring the back catalogue to life, with much more to be revealed!”
Yes, it sounds like that’s every episode of 20th Century Who, including 1996’s The TV Movie, plus 21st Century Who.
Dan McGolpin, Director of iPlayer and channels, said:
“Doctor Who has captivated countless millions of viewers on the BBC for 60 years and in celebration of this special moment we are bringing classic series to BBC iPlayer for the first time. Fans will be able to enjoy many of the Doctor’s earliest adventures with William Hartnell right through to the very latest series and the soon to be released and tremendously exciting new anniversary specials with David Tennant. We want everyone to be able to enjoy this breath-taking back catalogue, so we are making each episode on iPlayer as accessible as possible, with subtitles, audio description, and sign language all available for the first time.”
Every episode will be available with multiple accessibility options, including subtitles, audio description, and sign language.
Aunty Beeb will simultaneously launch an extensive online archive from the show’s history at bbc.co.uk/doctorwho, with everything from interviews with cast to written documents, long unheard audio, and behind-the-scenes photos, a collection of 60 items to celebrate 60 years of Doctor Who.
The archive even includes audio from former Head of Drama, Sydney Newman alongside documents with his original handwritten notes, retelling the origins of Doctor Who.
Over time, more content will be added, like a special collection of photos that have been scanned at 8k resolution from an estimated total of 25,000 prints, negatives, slides and digital images, giving an unprecedented insight into the show. It’ll also feature additional gems from over 100,000 documents — memos, correspondence, designs, audience research, orchestral scores of sheet music, and more!
Also being added are audio clips about Doctor Who, including radio programmes, documentaries, interviews, and music.
And the DWC will keep you updated about what this brave new era of Doctor Who has to offer.
Yes, many of us already have the DVDs and Blu-rays of Doctor Who, but this level of availability is astonishing… and when it comes to Doctor Who Confidential, we’re especially excited to relive such a great programme.
